My daughter-in-law, Caroline, is quite the ladder climber--4 promotions in as many weeks after starting in sales with a dermatology company. As her husband says, "People like her!" I believe she was born with the 'getting ahead' gene.
Today she told us about how, when she was in first grade, the smartest girl in the class was also named Caroline. So our Caroline( Lais) would do her hated school worksheets and sign 'Caroline Berry' at the top hoping that the really smart Caroline would simply write 'Caroline.' The theory was that our Caroline would then get the really good grade that the other Caroline earned.
The teacher saw right through this. Especially since the allegedly smarter Caroline spelled her last name 'Barri.'
A plug for our Caroline ;)
For a career with Rodan and Fields:
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Pull Over and Say "Ah."
While driving years ago, we were discussing tonsils.
(Aren't we fun?) Six year old Ryan was worried about the longevity of his tonsils when he heard that Steve and I had ours out when we were little. I told Ryan that was
the norm back then, and that the doctors don’t take them out so much anymore. Ryan nodded, “Oh, so it was the
law back then.” Out of his earshot I said to Steve,
“Can’t you see getting pulled over for a routine traffic stop and the cop
saying, “Okay, you’re wearing your seat belts, kids are in car seats…and hey, pal,
you wouldn't be sporting any illegal tonsils now would ya?"
©2/2013 Jana B Patrick, janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com
©2/2013 Jana B Patrick, janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To Have And Have Not
My cousin Deanne related the following story after reading my 'toilet paper' blog. http://www.janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com/2013/01/meaningful-dialogue.html
I loved your toilet paper blog. Gordy and I laugh about our four adult children giving us a hard time about using Scot toilet tissue, saying it is too rough. (they must have extra soft buns.) We buy it for efficiency, durability and cost!!! :)
What makes this so comical is the fact of where I grew up. We had no indoor plumbing--that is, no running water or 'biffs.' That house was in the center of very affluent WAYZATA, Minnesota. You see, what we lived in was at one time an office for my great grandfather's construction business and there was no plumbing then or EVER. My parents moved there in 1946 when I was born.
During the warm weather months our water came from the outside spigot of my great aunt's house next door. In the colder weather when the spigot was shut off, it meant melted snow or rainwater. Toilet issues were handled by walking to the local Catholic church that was always open, or the elementary school facilities when open; they even had showers available for the community if they needed them. We did!
I remember going to my aunt and uncle's farm in northern Minnesota where they had running water in the barn, but the same situation we had in the house: nothing. But they were one step above us. They had an outhouse...which had a Sears catalog which was used as toilet paper. NOW you want to talk about ROUGH. :)
So, having come from such beginnings I find toilet paper quality a mute point. When I know the kids are coming over, I slip on a roll of Charmin for their tender buns.
I asked Deanne if I could print the above story and below is her answer.
(Deanne's mother, Adeline, was my mom's cousin. Adeline lost her mother when she was little and she and her six sisters were farmed out to different families. Fortunately, she became my Mom's adopted sister)
(Deanne:) I don't mind. For most of my life I would never talk about being that poor, but now I am proud to have survived it and thankful my mother, (Adeline), got us through it, although I look back with amazement.
We had an oil burner in that house, and, if the wind blew, my mother was afraid the oil fumes would back up and make us sick. So she had me dress in layers and layers and layers and turned the oil burner OFF. Then the water we used for washing up and drinking would freeze. I would put the clothes for the next day in bed with me to make sure they were warm to get into. Oh my gosh, I don't long for those days, but, I am okay with the fact that we were so poor, it made me strong and that is a good thing in life.
My father was killed in a car accident in 1956 when I was 10. That left my mother to raise me by herself. It was very difficult for a few years. My father's mother--my favorite angel growing up--Grandma Pearl--lived in efficiency apartments around Wayzata, so hers was always an extra place to use a bathroom and, in case of emergency like one of us getting sick, we could go to her place. TIGHT but it worked.
About 1959, the daughter-in-law, Jane, of a family my mother worked for in the late 1930's and '40's as a nurse governess for their children, was looking for childcare for her new baby. They hit it off as Adeline had a gift for making friends and felt comfortable with people of any age, background or status. She was so excited because Jane had an idea. She had many wealthy friends that needed childcare, and would my mother like to get into that as a business? Thus came a long term fix for us. My mother didn't have a car or know how to drive, so these women would come quite a ways and pick her up and bring her to their homes. I was usually in school, and if I wasn't, she took me with her. It worked.
The next amazing thing happened later that year when the first shopping center was built in Wayzata. For the opening, there was a grand prize drawing for a new car. My mother won. Many people in town offered drivers training, free oil changes for a year, free gas etc. What a gift to us. We were mobile!
My mother's child caring soon evolved into staying at those same homes and caring for the children while the parents went on vacations usually about three weeks at a time. Adeline's name spread fast and people booked her months, sometimes years ahead allowing her to be very selective. We were like nomads, never knowing where we would wake up but guaranteed a warm house. :) We always went back home in between but the estates we stayed in were unbelievable. No one ever knew we had no plumbing, which, looking back just makes me laugh.
For three months during the summer of 1965, Adeline was nanny for the children of the director of the Walker Art Center who was traveling. Across the street was a beautiful estate where a husband and wife were renting during a three month job they had in Minneapolis. The wife and my mother became good friends and spent the summer walking around the lake and having tea etc. I had a nanny job so I wasn't there. My mother talked a lot about her friends across the street, but I guess I wasn't too interested. Silly me, it turns out. Adeline's job ended and we went back to our house. The next day the Minneapolis newspaper had a full page story about Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn who had spent the summer starring at the Guthrie Theater. My mother saw the article and, lo and behold, those were her summer friends .
Thanks for sharing the stories, Deanne. You and Adeline have always been inspirations!
By Deanne Straka edited by Jana Brown Patrick ©2/2013 Jana B Patrick, janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com
For a humorous history of toilets see my blog "Loo Loo, Skip to my Loo" http://janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com/2011/05/loo-loo-skip-to-my-loo-skip-to-my-loo.html
1965 (From 'Playbill') Legendary theatre is made when the husband-and-wife team of Hume Cronyn andJessica Tandy open in The Cherry Orchard at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Variety hails this latest production as "the outstanding presentation of the Chekhov classic in a lifetime of theatre going and would be a credit to any company."( Cronyn also performed in the Guthrie's Richard the III that summer.)
I loved your toilet paper blog. Gordy and I laugh about our four adult children giving us a hard time about using Scot toilet tissue, saying it is too rough. (they must have extra soft buns.) We buy it for efficiency, durability and cost!!! :)
What makes this so comical is the fact of where I grew up. We had no indoor plumbing--that is, no running water or 'biffs.' That house was in the center of very affluent WAYZATA, Minnesota. You see, what we lived in was at one time an office for my great grandfather's construction business and there was no plumbing then or EVER. My parents moved there in 1946 when I was born.
During the warm weather months our water came from the outside spigot of my great aunt's house next door. In the colder weather when the spigot was shut off, it meant melted snow or rainwater. Toilet issues were handled by walking to the local Catholic church that was always open, or the elementary school facilities when open; they even had showers available for the community if they needed them. We did!
I remember going to my aunt and uncle's farm in northern Minnesota where they had running water in the barn, but the same situation we had in the house: nothing. But they were one step above us. They had an outhouse...which had a Sears catalog which was used as toilet paper. NOW you want to talk about ROUGH. :)
So, having come from such beginnings I find toilet paper quality a mute point. When I know the kids are coming over, I slip on a roll of Charmin for their tender buns.
I asked Deanne if I could print the above story and below is her answer.
(Deanne's mother, Adeline, was my mom's cousin. Adeline lost her mother when she was little and she and her six sisters were farmed out to different families. Fortunately, she became my Mom's adopted sister)
(Deanne:) I don't mind. For most of my life I would never talk about being that poor, but now I am proud to have survived it and thankful my mother, (Adeline), got us through it, although I look back with amazement.
We had an oil burner in that house, and, if the wind blew, my mother was afraid the oil fumes would back up and make us sick. So she had me dress in layers and layers and layers and turned the oil burner OFF. Then the water we used for washing up and drinking would freeze. I would put the clothes for the next day in bed with me to make sure they were warm to get into. Oh my gosh, I don't long for those days, but, I am okay with the fact that we were so poor, it made me strong and that is a good thing in life.
My father was killed in a car accident in 1956 when I was 10. That left my mother to raise me by herself. It was very difficult for a few years. My father's mother--my favorite angel growing up--Grandma Pearl--lived in efficiency apartments around Wayzata, so hers was always an extra place to use a bathroom and, in case of emergency like one of us getting sick, we could go to her place. TIGHT but it worked.
About 1959, the daughter-in-law, Jane, of a family my mother worked for in the late 1930's and '40's as a nurse governess for their children, was looking for childcare for her new baby. They hit it off as Adeline had a gift for making friends and felt comfortable with people of any age, background or status. She was so excited because Jane had an idea. She had many wealthy friends that needed childcare, and would my mother like to get into that as a business? Thus came a long term fix for us. My mother didn't have a car or know how to drive, so these women would come quite a ways and pick her up and bring her to their homes. I was usually in school, and if I wasn't, she took me with her. It worked.
The next amazing thing happened later that year when the first shopping center was built in Wayzata. For the opening, there was a grand prize drawing for a new car. My mother won. Many people in town offered drivers training, free oil changes for a year, free gas etc. What a gift to us. We were mobile!
My mother's child caring soon evolved into staying at those same homes and caring for the children while the parents went on vacations usually about three weeks at a time. Adeline's name spread fast and people booked her months, sometimes years ahead allowing her to be very selective. We were like nomads, never knowing where we would wake up but guaranteed a warm house. :) We always went back home in between but the estates we stayed in were unbelievable. No one ever knew we had no plumbing, which, looking back just makes me laugh.
For three months during the summer of 1965, Adeline was nanny for the children of the director of the Walker Art Center who was traveling. Across the street was a beautiful estate where a husband and wife were renting during a three month job they had in Minneapolis. The wife and my mother became good friends and spent the summer walking around the lake and having tea etc. I had a nanny job so I wasn't there. My mother talked a lot about her friends across the street, but I guess I wasn't too interested. Silly me, it turns out. Adeline's job ended and we went back to our house. The next day the Minneapolis newspaper had a full page story about Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn who had spent the summer starring at the Guthrie Theater. My mother saw the article and, lo and behold, those were her summer friends .
Thanks for sharing the stories, Deanne. You and Adeline have always been inspirations!
By Deanne Straka edited by Jana Brown Patrick ©2/2013 Jana B Patrick, janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com
For a humorous history of toilets see my blog "Loo Loo, Skip to my Loo" http://janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com/2011/05/loo-loo-skip-to-my-loo-skip-to-my-loo.html
1965 (From 'Playbill') Legendary theatre is made when the husband-and-wife team of Hume Cronyn andJessica Tandy open in The Cherry Orchard at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Variety hails this latest production as "the outstanding presentation of the Chekhov classic in a lifetime of theatre going and would be a credit to any company."( Cronyn also performed in the Guthrie's Richard the III that summer.)
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